Oysters are considered a great delicacy in many parts of the world. Here is how to cut their shells and eat them.

Steps

1

Start by sorting through your oysters and selecting the ones which are tightly closed. Discard any oysters which have opened, as these are dead and are no longer suitable for eating.

2

Give the oysters a quick wash before serving them.

3

Hold the oyster down with a cloth against a flat surface.

4

Use an oyster knife with a hand guard, and insert the tip of the knife into the small hole at the hinge of the oyster shell. Wiggle the knife and push it all the way inside the shell to break the hinge.

5

Angle the knife upwards as you push it in, so that you cut the abductor muscle which holds the oyster onto the top shell. Remove the top shell, keeping the bottom shell flat to conserve the oyster juices. Then cut the abductor muscle holding the oyster onto the bottom shell so that it is lying loose on the shell, ready for serving.

6

Serve the oysters immediately on a bed of crushed ice.

7

Pick the oyster shell up, keeping it flat so as not to spill the juices. Hold it so that the smooth edge of the shell is facing towards you.

8

Tip the shell up and let the oyster and its juices slide into your mouth.

Yes and no. If you're going to eat oysters raw, they need to be alive at the time you open the shell. Once the shell is opened, though, the oyster is no longer alive. You've effectively killed it. As with many crustaceans and shellfish, oysters will start to decompose very, very rapidly and become inedible within a matter of hours.